Residents from Barry, Ionia and Kent counties are invited to a public town hall meeting on Saturday, May 5 at the Gerald R. Ford Museum. Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers will hear concerns from constituents and report on his activities in Washington. The event begins at 9 a.m., and will last around an hour. People who live or do business in the Third Congressional District are encouraged to attend.

Dozens of high school students from Kent, Ionia and Barry counties will be honored by Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers this Saturday, May 5. Ehlers will present the Congressional Medal of Merit to 42 high school seniors from Michigan’s Third Congressional District for outstanding academic performance and civic involvement.

Following the ceremony, Ehlers will announce the winners of the annual Congressional High School Art Competition. One high school student from the Third District will have their artwork chosen to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. Artwork from all of the participants will be on display in the atrium of the Ford Museum on Saturday.

The schedule for Congressman Ehlers' May 5 events is as follows:

9:00 a.m. – Town hall meeting
10:30 a.m. – Congressional Medal of Merit award ceremony
Noon – Announcement of Congressional High School Art Competition winners

The Gerald R. Ford Museum is located at 303 Pearl St. NW in Grand Rapids. All of the day's events will be held in the auditorium.

 
Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers is supporting two important bills to help increase scientific research and bolster U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace.

The House Committee on Science & Technology last week approved legislation to authorize appropriations for the National Science Foundation (H.R. 1867). The bill would provide a three-year funding authorization for the agency. The funding would allow the NSF to provide grants for basic research and fund training for students and teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Congressman Ehlers supports the legislation, but adds, “I have said before that writing a bill such as this is particularly challenging because the NSF is typified by exceptional efficiency and success; finding areas of needed change is not an easy task.” The NSF authorization bill is expected to be taken up by the House on Wednesday.

The Science & Technology Committee also favorably reported the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007 (H.R. 1868) to the full House of Representatives for consideration. The legislation authorizes appropriations over the next three years for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Most notable is the inclusion of multiple provisions in Rep. Ehlers’ Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2007, which authorizes over $366 million in funding over the next three years for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and provides for a manufacturing research and development grant program and a manufacturing research science fellowship program. The full House of Representatives is expected to consider the bill Thursday.

 
Legislation introduced by Congressman Ehlers has made its way into the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act. The Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act (H.R. 255) would authorize funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a vital resource for small and medium sized manufacturing firms in the district and around the nation. It also authorizes a manufacturing research and development grant program and a manufacturing research science fellowship program.

Ehlers fought to include these provision in legislation authorizing funds to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (H.R. 1868). Ehlers stated that the many of the programs included in the legislation are vital to helping smaller manufacturing firms cut costs and become more efficient. “This bill will help address long-term problems facing our nation’s manufacturers by broadening and strengthening manufacturing extension services and creating a program to revive manufacturing innovation through collaborative research and development,” said Ehlers.

More information on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership can be found on its web site: http://www.mep.nist.gov/

No votes are expected in the House today.

Suspensions (13 bills):

1) H.Res. 252 - Recognizing the 45th anniversary of John Hershel Glenn, Jr.'s historic achievement in becoming the first United States astronaut to orbit the Earth (Sponsored by Rep. Space / Science and Technology Committee)

2) H.Con.Res. 95 - Honoring the career and research accomplishments of Frances E. Allen, the 2006 recipient of the A.M. Turing Award (Sponsored by Rep. Woolsey / Science and Technology Committee)

3) H.Res. 316 - Recognizing the accomplishments of Roger D. Kornberg, Andrew Fire, Craig Mello, John C. Mather, and George F. Smoot for being awarded Nobel Prizes in the fields of chemistry, physiology or medicine, and physics (Sponsored by Rep. McNerney / Science and Technology Committee)

4) H.Res. 334 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Community College Month (Sponsored by Rep. Miller (NC) / Education and Labor Committee)

5) H.Con.Res. 112 - Supporting the goals and ideas of a National Child Care Worthy Wage Day (Sponsored by Rep. McCarthy / Education and Labor Committee)

6) H.Res. 298 - To commend the University of Florida Gators for their historic win in the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Tournament (Sponsored by Rep. Stearns / Education and Labor Committee)

7) H.Res. __ - Congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Boustany / Education and Labor Committee)

8) H.Res. 100 - Expressing the sympathy of House of Representatives to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala and encouraging the Government of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes (Sponsored by Rep. Solis / Foreign Affairs Committee)

9) H.Res. 272 - Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade (Sponsored by Rep. Lee / Foreign Affairs Committee)

10) H.Res. 158 - Observing the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade and encouraging the people of the United States, particularly the youth of the United States, to remember the life and legacy of William Wilberforce, a member of the British House of Commons who devoted his life to the suppression and abolition of the institution of slavery, and to work for the protection of human rights throughout the world (Sponsored by Rep. Pitts / Foreign Affairs Committee)

11) H.Res. 243 - Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Father Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Smith (NJ) / Foreign Affairs Committee)

12) H.Res. __ - Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo (Sponsored by Rep. Baca / Foreign Affairs Committee)

13) H.Con.Res. 118 - Congratulating the City of Chicago for being chosen to represent the United States in the international competition to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and encouraging the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago as the site of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Sponsored by Rep. Emanuel / Foreign Affairs Committee)

H.R. 1429 - Improving Head Start Act of 2007 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Kildee / Education and Labor Committee)

H.R. 1867 - National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Baird / Science and Technology Committee)

H.R. 1868 - Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Wu / Science and Technology Committee)

H.R. 1592 - Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Conyers / Judiciary Committee)

No votes are expected in the House today.